She's a student teacher and he's her mentor for her senior year internship. She's ready to learn and he, to teach. But are they ready for the consequences of blurred lines?
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Just after walking in the house and throwing my keys in a wooden tray that Cassie had given me for Christmas, I walked into the living room. Normally, Doc would’ve met me at the door, but he was with my parents for the day, since I didn’t know how long I’d be, or if I’d be busy comforting someone else...
It was just after eleven, and I’d barely had a chance to sit down on the couch when my phone rang. Halfway thinking of turning it off, I looked over at it. I expected it to be Kendall, but it wasn’t.
I answered. “Hello.”
“Hi, honey. Are you okay? How’s Kendall?” Mom asked in a worried tone.
“Hi, Mom. And no, everything is not okay. I messed everything up for her.”
It was my brutal honesty, which was all my mother ever asked from me. And after a long pause, I knew she was waiting for me to get more off my chest.
“Mom, I think Kendall may lose her internship and it might also cause her to not be able to finish her degree.”
“Oh, I doubt that can happen without a just reason. Why don’t you come over for lunch? It’s just me, since your father has Doc at the dog park, then taking him to the groomers for you.”
“He didn’t have to do that,” I said, but thankful that I had one less thing to worry about in the midst of this chaotic shitshow.
“He knows he didn’t have to, but he wanted to. Now, get in your car with Kendall and come on over. We can talk through some of this.”
“Kendall’s not with me,” I said, and as soon as the words left my mouth, they stung.
“Where is she, honey?” Mom asked in her worried, but caring tone.
“I left her at her apartment. I told her I needed some time to be alone.”
Mom sighed into the phone rather heavily, and I knew she didn’t like what I’d told her.
“Come over, Kyle.” And I nodded as though she could see me. “I’m assuming you’re grabbing your keys since I can’t see your head moving.”
“I’m grabbing them now.”
“Good. And it’s going to be okay.”
I wished I had her assurance, but the closer I got to the house I’d grown up in, the more unsure I was becoming. My mind was spinning out of control with worry for Kendall. I didn’t give a damn what happened to me, but if Kendall lost everything, I blamed my lack of professionalism with her. I should’ve kept my distance and allowed her to do what she was in my classroom for. And that wasn’t to get wrapped up in a relationship that basically could’ve put the final nail in her internship.
The drive to my parents' house was a quiet one...lost in my own thoughts.
Mom greeted me at the door as I pulled into the driveway by the garage doors.
